Shared Care Between Trauma Surgeons and Geriatricians for Older Trauma Patients

Low falls are the leading cause of injuries in the over 65-year age group. Overall, falls cause 43% of injury hospitalisations and the majority of these are from standing height. Although trauma systems have been effective at reducing mortality from high-energy trauma, such as motor vehicle collisions, the growing proportion of older adults with trauma raises new challenges and does not fit neatly into centralised models of trauma care based around major trauma services. Older adults with low falls are at risk of under-triage and it is critical to ensure that older adults have access to trauma expertise, including appropriate regional analgesia. Older adults with low falls often present with a combination of injuries, frailty, multimorbidity and polypharmacy. This article will make the case for shared care between trauma surgeons and geriatricians to manage older trauma patients with early involvement of emergency physicians.